Practice living to love with Jesus

1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. What a clear explanation of those who are born of God! They practice righteousness. John has said that those who practice obedience and love display evidence that Jesus is their life source. He wasn’t saying that they are perfect and that they always do the right thing. They practice righteousness like an accomplished pianist practices the piano, or a professional sports player practices his sport, or as anyone would who wants to master a skill practices that skill. John was saying that righteousness is a priority for those who are born of God because Jesus is righteous and loves righteousness. Because righteousness is a priority, they knowingly, intentionally commit to making time to learn about it and grow in it by reading His word, prayer, and learning from the Holy Spirit and others who are on the same spiritual trajectory. Since they are intentional, they take every opportunity to repeat doing what’s right in God’s sight, namely, in this context, abiding in Jesus so they can believe, obey, and love. They know where their righteousness comes from. It comes from the anointing they have from God, the seed of God which abides in them. Living to love with Jesus doesn’t just happen by accident any more than becoming an accomplished pianist or a professional at anything comes by happenstance. If we are to glorify God by being most satisfied in Jesus and loving with Him, then it must be intentionally practiced. From this and the previous verse, we are encouraged to practice righteousness. Righteousness has to do with right relating to our fellow man as the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit relate to one another. This is primarily summarized by love. Later in this letter, John wrote that love is the proof that one knows God. These things were written so that we might have confidence before a righteous God when He appears. On that day, everyone born of God will appear with Him in glory. If you know that Jesus is righteous, then practice living to love with Him for His glory.